On Nigeria Ministerial screening

 There were very strong indications yesterday that the name of the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje who was earlier scheduled to be  screened by the

Department of State Security Service, SSS, has been dropped.

Vanguard gathered that Baraje, who hails from Kwara State, was replaced with Bolaji Abdullahi, a former staff of Thisday Newspapers, just as the National Auditor of the PDP and Chairman, Board of Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Dr. Samuel Ortom, who is from Benue State, made the list and  is expected to join others for the screening.

Also making the list from the PDP family is the Acting National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed from Kebbi who was earlier penciled down for an ambassadorial posting, but events during the weekend showed that his name has been pushed forward for screening today along side others. Mohammed was the Minister of Communication during the  Olusegun Obasanjo administrator.

Also to be screened is former Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF and PDP Senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central in the last election, Hamisu Abubakar Mairago who lost to Mohammed Saleh of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. If he scales through, it will bring to rest insinuations that the former governor, Mohammed Makarfi and the Special Adviser to the President, Senator Isaiah Balat were being penciled down for the ministerial slot for Kaduna State.

Also to be screen is Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United Arab Emirate, UAE, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, from Zamfara State and it means that his nomination will close the chances of the immediate past governor, Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi who was at the National Secretariat of the PDP for last minute scheming.

It would be recalled that former Minister for Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Odein Ajumogobia, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed and his former of State, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade were last Wednesday screened at the Yellow House Building of the SSS.

Also screened were the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, erstwhile Minister of Justice and Attorney -General, Mohammed Adoke.

The exercise which would have continued last week Thursday, was put to a halt following the bomb blast which rocked the Force Headquarters  in Abuja same day.

It was gathered that the SSS which will conduct the exercise today will have more names made up of technocrats who have been tested and found credible in their chosen fields of endeavour.

Besides the name of PDP National Auditor, the Acting National Chairman, other members of the National Working Committee, NWC pencilled down are the National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke from Ondo State, National Organising Secretary, Prince Uche Secondus, National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali from Gombe State and the National Woman leader, Maryam Inna Ciroma in line with the consensus reached between the leadership of the party and President Goodluck Jonathan that some members of the NWC will make the ministerial list at least for their campaign efforts.-vanguard